republic-os/legislation/us/states/hi/2024/hb-1598.md

---
type: "Bill"
title: "RELATING TO THE SUNSHINE LAW."
description: "Requires boards to make available for public inspection board packets, if created, at the time the board packet is distributed to board members but no later than two business days before the board meeting. Provides that public testimony may be distributed to board members before the board meeting. Requires boards to include in the notice to persons requesting notification of meetings, a list of the documents that were compiled by the board and distributed to board members before a board meeting for use at the meeting. Requires boards to post board packets on its website. (SD2)"
jurisdiction: "us/states/hi"
legislature: "Hawaii Legislature"
session: "2024"
identifier: "HB 1598"
citation: "Hawaii HB 1598 (2024)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["Board Packets", "Notice", "Public Inspection", "Sunshine Law", "Testimony"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["AMATO", "COCHRAN", "GANADEN", "KAPELA", "MARTEN", "MATSUMOTO", "MIYAKE", "NAKASHIMA", "PERRUSO", "TAKAYAMA", "TAKENOUCHI", "TARNAS"]
version_count: 4
action_count: 32
vote_count: 3
first_action: "2024-01-16"
last_action: "2024-05-03"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/3f9f0852-22eb-4003-b8aa-404d67b3a1cf"
source_url: "https://capitol.hawaii.gov/session/archives/measure_indiv_Archives.aspx?billtype=HB&billnumber=1598&year=2024"
source_hash: "a59302cd58e794b3acb9d62b7f93f5927ce72e9e2b6bdd5014711875c5bcd283"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-hi"]
---

# Hawaii HB 1598 (2024) — RELATING TO THE SUNSHINE LAW.

Requires boards to make available for public inspection board packets, if created, at the time the board packet is distributed to board members but no later than two business days before the board meeting. Provides that public testimony may be distributed to board members before the board meeting. Requires boards to include in the notice to persons requesting notification of meetings, a list of the documents that were compiled by the board and distributed to board members before a board meeting for use at the meeting. Requires boards to post board packets on its website. (SD2)

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **HB1598** (committee substitute) — [source](https://capitol.hawaii.gov/sessions/session2024/bills/HB1598_.HTM)
2. **HB1598_HD1** (committee substitute) — [source](https://capitol.hawaii.gov/sessions/session2024/bills/HB1598_HD1_.HTM)
3. **HB1598_SD1** (committee substitute) — [source](https://capitol.hawaii.gov/sessions/session2024/bills/HB1598_SD1_.HTM)
4. **HB1598_SD2** (committee substitute) — [source](https://capitol.hawaii.gov/sessions/session2024/bills/HB1598_SD2_.HTM)

## Votes

- Reconsider: The committee on JHA recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. — **8–0** (pass) · lower
- The committee(s) on GVO recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. — **5–0** (pass) · upper
- Reconsider: The committee(s) on JDC recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. — **4–0** (pass) · upper

## Sponsors

- AMATO — primary (person)
- COCHRAN — primary (person)
- GANADEN — primary (person)
- KAPELA — primary (person)
- MARTEN — primary (person)
- MATSUMOTO — primary (person)
- MIYAKE — primary (person)
- NAKASHIMA — primary (person)
- PERRUSO — primary (person)
- TAKAYAMA — primary (person)
- TAKENOUCHI — primary (person)
- TARNAS — primary (person)
- Kobayashi — cosponsor (person)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2024-05-03** Act 011, 05/03/2024 (Gov. Msg. No. 1111). `became-law`
- **2024-05-03** Act 011, on 05/03/2024 (Gov. Msg. No. 1111). `became-law`
- **2024-04-18** Received notice of House agreement and passage on Final Reading (Hse. Com. No. 764). `receipt`
- **2024-04-17** Transmitted to Governor.
- **2024-04-17** Passed Final Reading as amended in SD 2 with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and Representative(s) Garcia, Kila, Nakashima excused (3). `passage`
- **2024-04-17** House agrees to Senate amendment(s).
- **2024-04-17** Received notice of House reconsideration of action in disagreeing to the amendments proposed by the Senate (Hse. Com. No. 758). `receipt`
- **2024-04-16** Reconsideration of action taken on 04-11-24.
- **2024-04-12** Received notice of disagreement (Hse. Com. No. 731). `receipt`
- **2024-04-11** House disagrees with Senate amendment (s). `amendment-failure`
- **2024-04-09** Returned from Senate (Sen. Com. No. 502) in amended form (SD 2).
- **2024-04-09** Report adopted; Passed Third Reading, as amended (SD 2). Ayes, 24; Aye(s) with reservations: none . Noes, 0 (none). Excused, 1 (Senator(s) Ihara). Transmitted to House. `passage`
- **2024-04-05** 48 Hrs. Notice 04-09-24.
- **2024-04-05** Reported from JDC (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 3748) with recommendation of passage on Third Reading, as amended (SD 2).
- **2024-04-02** The committee(s) on JDC recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes in JDC were as follows: 4 Aye(s): Senator(s) Rhoads, Gabbard, Elefante, San Buenaventura; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 1 Excused: Senator(s) Awa. `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2024-03-27** The committee(s) on JDC will hold a public decision making on 04-02-24 10:05AM; Conference Room 016 & Videoconference.
- **2024-03-22** Report adopted; Passed Second Reading, as amended (SD 1) and referred to JDC. `reading-2, referral-committee`
- **2024-03-22** Reported from GVO (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 3270) with recommendation of passage on Second Reading, as amended (SD 1) and referral to JDC.
- **2024-03-19** The committee(s) on GVO recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes in GVO were as follows: 5 Aye(s): Senator(s) McKelvey, Gabbard, San Buenaventura, Wakai, Awa; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 0 Excused: none. `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2024-03-14** The committee(s) on GVO deferred the measure until 03-19-24 3:00PM; CR 225. `deferral`
- **2024-03-11** The committee(s) on GVO has scheduled a public hearing on 03-14-24 3:00PM; CR 225 & Videoconference.
- **2024-03-07** Referred to GVO, JDC. `referral-committee`
- **2024-03-07** Passed First Reading. `reading-1`
- **2024-03-07** Received from House (Hse. Com. No. 190). `introduction, receipt`
- **2024-03-05** Passed Third Reading with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and Representative(s) Cochran, Martinez, Woodson excused (3). Transmitted to Senate. `passage`
- **2024-02-29** Passed Second Reading as amended in HD 1; placed on the calendar for Third Reading with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and Representative(s) Aiu, Cochran, Garrett, Holt, Kahaloa, Lowen, Nishimoto, Quinlan, Todd excused (9).
- **2024-02-29** Reported from JHA (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 672-24) as amended in HD 1, recommending passage on Second Reading and placement on the calendar for Third Reading.
- **2024-02-23** The committee on JHA recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 8 Ayes: Representative(s) Tarnas, Takayama, Evslin, Ganaden, Ichiyama, Ilagan, Kong, Miyake; Ayes with reservations: none; Noes: none; and 2 Excused: Representative(s) Holt, Souza. `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2024-02-21** Bill scheduled to be heard by JHA on Friday, 02-23-24 2:00PM in House conference room 325 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.
- **2024-01-24** Referred to JHA, referral sheet 1 `referral-committee`
- **2024-01-17** Introduced and Pass First Reading. `introduction, reading-1`
- **2024-01-16** Prefiled.

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/3f9f0852-22eb-4003-b8aa-404d67b3a1cf`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Hawaii legislature records).